The present invention relates to communications networks and specifically to an asymmetrical communications network that offers increased bandwidth for use in public safety applications. The present invention relates to all public safety related agencies and some related private agencies (FBI, NTSB, FAA, FEMA police, fire, EMS, sheriff, ambulance, national weather etc.) radio communications systems. The present invention also relates to national Home Land Defense (HLD) related incidents where multiple state and federal government public safety agencies may respond.
Current land mobile radio systems (LMRS) (VHF, UHF, and 800/900 MHz areas of the spectrum) are narrowband and do not offer any type of broadband reception to deliver desired broadband applications such as timely video, graphics, etc. Current systems mainly provide narrowband voice and some low-speed data traffic (e.g. analog and digital trunked radio systems). Narrowband radio channels are easily congested making video, graphics, or picture data impractical and potentially congesting the channels making them difficult to use for other critical voice or data traffic uses.
Additional bandwidth capability must be very low cost to the user at a remote end of the LMRS. Most large metropolitan areas have used FCC allocated bandwidth making it difficult to obtain more. Use and reuse of existing spectrum is sought. Some examples include reallocation of analog television bands.
Currently LMRS channel priority is handled by voice. No master plan to organize spectrum use in a timely fashion in the event of a regional disaster is provided. Public safety city and county jurisdictions purposely divide up non-overlapping frequency bands, making it difficult to quickly share important information efficiently during the event of a regional disaster. There is a need to more efficiently organize LMRS spectrum use issuing a broadcast simultaneously to all first-responders and agents. There is a need to improve interoperability between various city, county, state, and federal agencies.
Each county and major city in a state administration generally operates within a fiscal budget and each entity purchases LMRS radios on an as needed or as affordable standpoint. The resultant is highly disparate systems and system capabilities across all 50 states and across state lines that may not cross-communicate well when an incident calls for a multi-regional and multi-agency response. There is a need for public safety and HLD interoperable communications that offers affordable improved multi-jurisdiction and regional interoperability.
Emergency response teams desire better information, including graphical downloads of mug-shots, hazardous material info, building drawings for fire fighters, drivers license information, Amber Alerts, etc. Mug shot data is generally retrieved from the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) and there is currently no practical means of forwarding the graphical portions of that information from a dispatch center to an officer in a car. There is a need to request and deliver relevant graphical data to the mobile emergency response team receiver systems in a manner that reflects on the entire response team's command hierarchy at a developing emergency location.
Thus there is a need to improve interoperability by incorporating a broadband capability that is common with all agencies and regions that can instantly inform all emergency first responders and agents and assist in organizing inter-agency communications by providing realtime information on first responder radio band information and position location data on each responder in a graphical format.